Ukraine fears defeat in east without surge in military aid

The war in Ukraine has turned into a grueling artillery battle, with Russia steadily gaining ground thanks to its overwhelming firepower advantage. As the US and its allies gather on Wednesday to discuss new military aid to Kyiv, Ukraine’s fate will depend largely on how quickly and in what quantities these heavy weapons arrive.

Without a broad and rapid increase in military aid, Ukraine faces defeat in the eastern Donbass region, Ukrainian officials warn. That would pave the way for Russia to continue its offensive to Odessa and Kharkiv after it regroups in the coming months, and possibly all the way back to the capital, Kyiv, thereafter.